Short Stories From The Organization
by BeautyInTheEyes
Summary: A collection of One-Shots that are merely fluff. These are stories I began long ago, but lost interest in, yet still feel they are share-worthy because it'd be a waste to just toss them. Might be a bit lemony from time to time, so M to be safe. Couples include Dexion, AkuRoku, MarVex, SoRiku, and some others. Read for full summaries of each one-shot. Just for shits and giggles.
1. Drinking Buddies

**DRINKING BUDDIES: A KINGDOM HEARTS ONE-SHOT; STARING ZEXION AND DEMYX  
**Summary: Zexion's life has been pretty pitiful lately, and  
only the company of his best friend, Demyx, whom he  
has feelings for, seems to cheer Zexion up. What happens  
when the pair gets slightly drunk together one night?  
Hijinks ensue, nothin' but fluff.

Zexion's POV:

Bouncing my leg was not something I normally did; seeing as it was not something I really did ever. The spur of this unusual action, for myself that is, what an intolerable amount of stress. My normally cool and collected exterior had remained unchanged, but internally, I was screaming. My heartbeat was racing in my chest, hammering against my ribcage so hard I thought my chest might burst, and my heart would fly out. My stomach was in tight knots, and I felt a queasy feeling wash over my entire body. I shook my head, trying to not get sick, and my blue grey hair falling loosely in my face. I tucked it behind my ear, and as another nervous habit, an energy release of sorts, I rubbed the back of my neck, discovering my palms were sweaty. My palms didn't sweat. Not to mention, I _didn't _get nervous. I was always so cool and collected. I was known for it.

Except for now, apparently, as I sat outside in the hallway of my bosses office. I glanced up at the clock ticking on the wall opposite where I was seated. It was four fifty nine. One minute away from five o'clock. Or if you were in my position, the people around the office where I worked referred to it as _fired _o'clock. In case you don't exactly comprehend what is going on here; allow me to put it simply. My ass is on the line. I'm either about to get promoted and get an executive office and move up from my dumpy, cramped cubical, or the more likely scenario where I get _demoted _to jobless, and soon to be homeless, Zexion. Sigh. I can't stand my life anymore; it all suddenly started to go to Hell all at once. But I digress.

Behind me, the door opened with a click, and a swoosh air movement. I stood straight up, my back ridged as a rail, and my shoulders tight. My balled my fits, my palms once again sweaty. I'm not exactly sure how I was keeping myself as calm and collected as I always did, but I hoped I could keep this up. My boss stared me down, and grunted. "Come in. Sit down, there."

I gulped, swallowing the nervousness rising in my throat. My boss sat in his chair behind his desk, and folded his hands on top of it. He tapped his fingers together, looking down. His eyes then met mine, and I felt the tension, or perhaps it was awkwardness, rising in the room. I straightened my tie, clearing my throat quietly. He opened his mouth to speak, and I knew right then I was screwed.

"Zexion, you are one of the single most diligent people we have ever had the opportunity, and great pleasure, of employing. However, your work ethics seem to be dwindling over the past couple of months." He unfolded his hands, tapped the desk, and then refolded his hands, settling on tapping his fingers against the back of his palms. "You are a wonderfully brilliant young man, a very respectable person overall. But you, however, are not what this company is looking for…" He paused and cleared his throat. I froze. His words were ringing in my ears, infiltrating into my mind, and I feared that I wouldn't be able to hold this calm mask much longer. "I am deeply sorry. But we have to let you go. You final paycheck is in the mail, and you should receive it by Monday morning. I'm sorry this was your last Friday in the office. If you would like some boxes to pack up the personal items in your cubic—"

I raised my hand to stop him, and stood up, pushing the chair in. I turned my back to my now ex-boss, and opened the door, and stormed out, slamming it behind me. I made my way to my cubical, and collected my coat off of the back of the office chair, leaving every other meaningless thing on my desk. I threw my coat over my shoulders, winding my way through the maze of cubical offices, until I made it to the exit, which was illuminated by the glowing luminescent sign above it. I shoved out the door, and into the pouring rain, and began the two mile walk to my apartment complex.

By the time I had reached my front door, I was soaked from head to toe. My mop of hair was dripping in my face, but I couldn't care less. The anger I felt towards the world tainted my entire being, and as far as I could tell, I might have been bright red with smoke coming out of my ears.

I stood in the doorway to the apartment, fumbling for my keys until I finally located them in my jacket pocket. I shoved through the front door, and was greeted the lobbyist who was not only my best friend, but the only person in the world I trusted. Demyx was typing something on the computer, but when the door opened, he looked up and smiled at me. He smiled faded and turned into a grimace as he took in my drenched form. "Christ, Zexion." He sighed. "You're soaked. You're going to catch you death of cold if you stay like that." He pressed the button and the elevator started to descend towards the lobby. It reached the ground floor, and the doors opened with a short 'ding'.

I stepped in, and shot Demyx a look. "You shift is over in twenty minutes. Please come straight to my apartment." The doors closed, and I pushed the button for the sixth of thirteen floors. There was only one apartment per floor, but the building had only seven tenants. Demyx was on the ninth floor, and the only other person I knew in this building was some guy named Xemnas who lived on the thirteenth floor. I was about to lose my apartment though. With my last paycheck I'd had to pay one more months' rent, and then find somewhere else. The elevator ding brought me out of my thoughts as I stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway. I pulled my keys out once more, and unlocked the door to my apartment, and once inside, I tossed my keys onto the kitchen table, and began to strip myself of my soaked clothes. I dropped them all into the laundry basket at the base of the stairs, and then darted upstairs and into the bathroom where I proceeded to take a burningly hot shower. I felt myself crying as the events of today sunk in.

After a decent cry, I turned the water off, and toweled myself off, heading towards my bedroom, which was directly across a narrow hallway from the bathroom. I rummaged around in my drawers, pulling out a pair of my favourite black skinny jeans, and the sweatshirt Demyx had bought me from Hot Topic for my birthday two months ago. I dressed myself, combed out my mop of hair, and then made my way downstairs, plopping myself on my small couch in front of the TV. I turned on the news, and zoned out as the stories of the day I didn't particularly care about droned in the background. I was interrupted by three quick knocks on my door. Demyx was here.

I opened the door, and Demyx, now wearing blue skinny jeans and a black tee shirt stepped inside. I closed the door behind him, and Demyx moved to plop himself down on the couch. He spent a lot of time in my apartment, and I would never admit it out-loud, but I loved his company. I loved Demyx in general, more than a friend of course, but he didn't know that.

Demyx watched me as I sat down besides sadly on the couch, dropping my head in my hands. "What's wrong, Zexy?" That nickname was one he started calling me when we weren't even friends, right after we'd met. Demyx was an odd one, but in a good way of course. "Bad day at your job?"

I laughed coldly. "_What _job?" I sighed again, and shook my head. "I got fired today, Demyx. I'm going to lose my apartment."

Demyx shook his head. "You know you're always welcome at my place, Zexy!" He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and I leaned against him, resting my head on his shoulders. Demyx sighed along with me. "I'm sorry though. Man, that company fucking sucks!" I groaned aloud.

"No, it was my doing. I'd been slacking in my work, distracted by my personal life. I should've just focused on my career, and then I wouldn't have put myself in this situation. Dammit!" I threw my hands up, feeling angry again. I was lucky I had Demyx to listen to my whining.

Demyx kept his arm around my shoulders. "You know we should do then, Zexy? We should go out tonight!" He suggested in his usually enthusiastic tone of voice. I sighed.

"You mean to dinner? I had a large lunch so I'm not hungry, but if you haven't eaten—"

"No, silly! I meant to a bar, or a club! We could get a few drinks, and just hang out." He smiled at me. "We could dirty dance on the dance floor like we did at Marluxia's birthday party when we both got absolutely plastered, and then we can get banned form a second club. That'd be fun, huh?" He laughed and I laughed with him. Demyx had an uncanny way of making me laugh, as well as cheering me up when I was down.

I stood up, and made my way into the kitchen, opening it and pulling out a twelve back of Smirnoff Ice cherry-lime flavored bottles of ready-to-drink vodka. A huge grin lit up Demyx's face. Demyx wasn't a drunk or an alcoholic, but he did enjoy the occasion drink fest here and there. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy drinking with Demyx. I grabbed two, and walked back to the living room, placing one in Demyx's hands. He grinned up at me and popped the top off, bringing the bottle to his lips and taking a swig. I did the same, and welcomed the familiar, pleasurable burn of the alcohol as it bubbled in my stomach. Demyx sighed happily.

"I like staying here and drinking these better. Good idea, Zexy." Demyx took another swig, downing half his bottle. Unlike me, Demyx could really pound it down, drinking two or three of these bad boys without it even fazing him. By my third one, I was past tipsy and at full blown drunk, but if I had one more, I'd black out without a doubt. I'd done that once, and I didn't plan on going past two bottles tonight. Demyx could handle about four or five before he started getting a bit drunk. But he'd probably just crash on my couch, or possibly my floor. Depends on where he'd pass out.

I finished my first bottle, as Demyx got up and retrieved a second, popping off the lid, and taking a long swig. "How do you do it, Demyx?"

Demyx pulled the rim of the bottle away from his lips. "Uh…do what?"

"Just drink these like water. By the third one, I'm usually too shitfaced to even remember my own name. You can drink two of these before I have even one finished. How do you do it?"

Demyx shrugged, taking another sip. "I can handle my booze." He laughed and looked at me. "Either that or you're a featherweight."

"The term is _light_weight, Demyx." I raised a brow at him as he started laughing again.

"No, not in your case, Zexy. You're a featherweight." He laughed and I rolled my eyes. "But you're still a great drinking buddy."

I went the kitchen and retrieved a second bottle for myself. Demyx had his second bottle halfway done. He belched loudly and laughed. I sat down, and popped the top off of my bottle. "Nice, Demyx. That was really classy."

Demyx shrugged and took another sip. I felt the effects of the booze beginning to take its toll, and my head began to swim a bit. I rather enjoyed this feeling of being a bit tipsy. It was almost like a floating feeling, and it made me giggly. Demyx finished his second bottle, and placed the empty glass container on the floor next to the first.

"Hm, I need to cool it for a minute." He belched again, laughing. "You got any food in this place? I must not have enough in my stomach because those two bottles went _straight _to my head." Demyx laughed a very boyish laughed, and I wanted to throw myself on him.

_Must be the booze. _I thought to myself._ As far as I know, Demyx is straight. He doesn't know I'm gay…_

Demyx attempted to stand, but tripped over his own two feet, and fell flat on his chest. "Oof!" He groaned, and sat up. "Well, that was unexpected." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. His mullet style remained perfectly in place. I laughed and stood up, handing Demyx my bottle.

"Hold this. Let my reheat that pizza we ordered the other night we watched the trilogy." I made my way towards the kitchen and rummaged through my fridge, finding the plastic baggy that had two pieces of pizza left in it, but also finding a bottle of white zinfandel. I pulled the bottle out and set it on the counter, and then grabbed a clean plate out of the dish rack. I tossed both pieces of the leftover pizza onto a plate and tossed them into the microwave for a minute.

The microwave beeped, and I removed the food, making my way towards the living room; my hand burning as I held the hot plate in one, and the bottle of white zinfandel in the other. Demyx was sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch, taking a swig form my bottle. I laughed. "Christ Demyx. Eat something first, will you? I don't want vomit on my carpet…again." Demyx laughed and grabbed one of the slices of pizza off of the plate as I set it on the floor next to him. I sat down on the floor across from Demyx, crossing my legs and reading over the bottle.

"Watcha' got there?" Demyx asked, halfway done with his pizza. He bit off another large chunk and watched me as I opened the bottle.

"White zinfandel from Marluxia. He gave it to me on my birthday, and I never ended up drinking it." I shrugged drinking straight from the bottle. "Little fruity, but not bad."

Demyx held out his hand like a little kid, and I gave him the bottle. He took a large gulp and handed the bottle back to me. "I like it, it's not bad." I rolled my eyes at him. He laughed. "What? I'm not picky with my booze."

I nodded, taking a sip from the bottle. "Oh, I know."

Demyx snorted, and I laughed. "What's that supposed to me, Zexy?"

I laughed, smacking his leg playfully. "You're a drinker, Dem. You like your alcohol, that's for sure." We laughed together, but soon a peaceful silence set it. I screwed the top back onto the bottle, and lied on my back.

"Y'know, today sucked for me too." Demyx said. I turned my head and met his gaze. He was looking straight at me.

"Why's that, Dem?"

"Well, I stubbed my toe when I got up, hit my head on my car door, spilled coffee on myself, and on top of _all _of that, the guy I really like, and really care for was sad."

I sat straight up. "The…_guy_?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow. Demyx shrugged.

"Yeah, the guy, Zexy. You didn't know?"

I shook my head. "Know what?"

"That I'm into dudes?" I laughed out-loud. Demyx gave me a look. "What's funny?"

"Just the way you worded that statement." I laughed again, feeling bubbly and happy. Partly because I was kinda boozed up at this point, and partly because Demyx was gay like me. "So…" I began tracing the lines in my carpet with my finger. "Who's this guy that was sad today?"

Demyx smiled at me. "Oh he's great. I've known him for a couple of years. He lives in my apartment building, and he's kinda on the short side, but he's a good drinking buddy." My icy blue eyes met Demyx's sea foam eyes. He winked at me.

"Wait…." I said, thinking a minute. "You just described…_me?" _I watched Demyx in amazement as he nodded his head.

"Yep."

"You like me…"

"That's what I said."

"Demyx like me…"

"Yeah, Zexy…" He said laughing.

Before I could stop myself, I threw my body onto Demyx's, and met his lips. He tasted of alcohol and pizza, but he also had a sweet taste to him. His lips were soft against mine as I cupped his face. Demyx tangled his fingers in my hair, and deepened the kiss by running his tongue gently over my bottom lip. I opened my mouth for him, and his tongue was soon battling mine, and exploring my mouth as well. I moaned against him, not something I normally did. I don't usually throw myself on my best friend either, but alcohol was mixed in and anything could happen. Hell, maybe I need an emotional release like this…

Eventually both Demyx and myself pulled away for air. He smiled at me. "You gonna remember this in the morning, featherweight?" He nudged me in the ribs, causing me to laugh.

I placed a kiss on his lips once more. "Yeah, no doubt about it. Hey…I was wondering if you wanted to spend—" Demyx put a finger to my lips, and then replaced his finger with his own lips.

He smiled at me. "I'd love to, Zexy."

I grinned at him. "You're my best friend, Dem. I couldn't imagine a better drinking buddy. Although I hope you feel the same way in the morning…"

Demyx laughed. "Of course I will. The booze just made it easier to admit to you that I liked you." He hiccupped, causing me to laugh. "I'm still gonna like you a lot." He smiled at me and we laughed together.

Eventually after a couple more drinks, I passed out in Demyx's arms on my floor, and woke up in the same place to a slightly hung over Demyx. He greeted me good morning with a soft kiss on the lips and although things had been pretty shitty for a while, this must be the calm after the storm.

….…

**[A/N: Hey everybody. So this is just a short I wrote really late one night, but never made any move to finish it, or improve upon it. I liked it enough to keep it, and couldn't get rid of it. It is not my best work, but it is share worthy in my opinion. I have a ton of other little Kingdom Hearts shorts like this with parings like Demyx/Zexion to Axel/Roxas, and still yet Marluxia/Vexen. Just the couples I ship. You may agree or disagree with me, but those are just my ships. Anyways, I'll upload a little short form time to time and just build up a collection of little shorts I have that are just done, and I don't feel like doing anything else to them, and that I like too much to get rid of. This is one of my favourites, although it isn't my best. It's just fluff, plain and simple. I hope you enjoyed this. I'm going to dig through my files and upload more from time to time as I find them. Thanks for reading and please review?]**


	2. Nightmares

**NIGHTMARES: A KINGDOM HEARTS ONE-SHOT: STARRING AXEL AND ZEXION**

Summary: Zexion and his long-time boyfriend Axel are having a problem. A reoccurring nightmare that attacks Zexion's dreams, and it wakes him up a crying mess almost every night. Axel has of yet to figure out what the nightmare is about; but when he does, it's not what he was expecting. Nothing but some tragic fluff. Not my best work, but not my worst. Still share worthy, I think.

"_Hide, baby. Just, alright? Everything is going to be okay. But you need to just hide and keep your little self safe, do you hear me? Daddy and I love you always. Hide, baby!" A panicked kiss on the forehead of the small boy; tears that weren't his own dripping onto his cheeks. Heavy footsteps thumping slowly on the creaky wooden stairs. His mother stroked his hair, gently but urgently, and then gave the small child a light shove into the closet, closing the door. The child ducked down, hiding his small self amongst the various items he couldn't identify in the darkness. Small streams of light came through the slats of the closet door, and the child could see through them a bit, and he watched as his parents stood together, clutching at each other's hands. His father, a bluenette just like the child, held the silver haired woman, his wife and the child's loving mother, to his side. Tears ran down her face, and she clung to her husband's arm. The heavy footsteps were so close, they could be felt through the floorboards. When they had come to a halt, it would be right in front of the door. All three of the bodies in the room were held frozen in their positions; their breaths halted in their throat. A long pause dawned across the room, and then a deafening crack as the door shattered into a million wood splinters. The child backed away from the door as a menacing laughed echoed around the room. A loud crack, a scream of pain, and then a pained cry of a name. The young boy crouched further into the closet, pushing himself against the wall, and closing his eyes tightly. He pressed his hands to his ears roughly as another sickening crack echoed around the room. A muted thud, another laugh, and slow footsteps moving towards the closet. The child froze, not even breathing. The door handle to the closet jiggled, and the boy felt a tear slip down his cheek. _

Light flashed across Zexion's eyes, and he gasped, sitting straight up. The blankets had tangled around his small frame and constricted him as he gripped at his chest; a tight feeling residing there. Beside him, a body stirred, and yawned as they were awoken. The bluenette began to shake, and he ran a hand roughly though his slate locks, tugging on them angrily. A warm hand touched his shoulder, and he flinched at the contact.

"Did you have the nightmare again, baby?" Axel's voice laden with sleep asked, but the intense amount of concern in it could be heard as well.

Without word, Zexion simply nodded in the darkness, a tear streaking down his face. His skin was clammy and had a light layer of sweat upon it. The short nobody brought his knees up to his chest, where he wrapped his arms around them and hugged himself. Tears poured out of the icy blue eyes, and he dropped his head against his knees; crying quietly and shaking a bit as he did so.

The warm body that was lying beside him sat up, grunting a bit as he did so. The mattress shifted slightly, and a warm, comforting arm was wrapped around the bluenette's shoulders. Zexion felt his small frame being hugged to the chest of a taller nobody and he leaned into the touch; yet still hugging himself.

"Shh, shh, shh. It's alright, it's okay…" A tired, yet extremely caring voice cooed as Zexion was rocked back and forth gently in the embrace as he cried. "Don't cry, love. It's all okay, I'm here, I'm here…"

The shorter, shaken nobody wanted to reply, but the breath to speak had been stolen from his lips as he cried. This damned nightmare haunted him regularly; almost every night. And while he'd done everything in his power to avoid it, for example; avoiding ingesting anything that had caffeine in it after a certain time, taking a hot, relaxing shower before bed, avoiding watching horror movies, and the lot of things of that nature, nothing would prevent the nightmare form coming back. At one point in time Zexion had tried taking sleep aids. He tried getting drunk before sleeping. Nothing worked to help him; not even combining the two things. If anything; it only intensified the morbid images and made it that much more terrifying for the poor kid.

Vivid images flashed behind Zexion's eyes, and he whimpered aloud; the sound so sad and helpless, tears welled in the other's eyes. Axel rubbed slow, soothing circles on his frightened boyfriend's back. "Don't worry, baby. I've gotcha. Everything is going to be okay. Nobody is going to hurt you, I promise. Shh, baby, shh. I've got you, I'm here. You're going to be okay. Nothing to be afraid of."

Axel loved Zexion. There was no doubt about it. Even with the absence of his heart, he didn't care what everybody else believed. As long as Axel believed it; he knew it was true. Axel loved Zexion with his entire nonexistent being. With his entire soul; what he and Zexion had concluded nobodies loved with because they didn't have hearts. Yet these two held a solid, _loving _relationship, so obviously there was something there they _could _definitely love with.

And that's why seeing him this way killed Axel. Seeing the normally calm, cool Zexion so small and frail; shaking out of his skin and crying. It was painful to the red head, and it was worse he couldn't do much except sit here and let the bluenette cry it out as he hugged himself tightly and attempted to convince the boy he truly was safe in Axel's arms.

What's worse still was that Axel had no idea _why _Zexion would wake up crying. He had no clue why the boy shook in his arms and clutched himself and he leant into the pyro's warm embrace. Zexion hadn't told him; and no matter how much Axel tried to coax it out of him, he would never spill. Even if he loved his boyfriend unconditionally, not knowing drove poor Axel up a wall because he couldn't comfort properly, in his opinion.

"Do you wanna talk about it, baby?" Axel asked, suppressing a yawn. He stole at glance at the alarm clock on Zexion's side table. The bright red, luminescent numbers read one a.m.; the nightmare coming two and a half hours earlier than yesterday, and four hours earlier than the night before.

Axel spent most nights in his boyfriend's bedroom, due to the fact Zexion was always too afraid to go to sleep without Axel by his side. When the pyro had been sent away for a week and a half on a mission; he'd come home to the bluenette in the infirmary; hallucinating and talking nonsense because he'd refused to sleep without Axel by his side. That was more than a year ago, and after that point, the nightmare began to control the short nobody's life little by little. Each night, it was Axel's job to help suppress the panic attacks the bluenette got as he began to fall asleep. It tore the red head apart watching a dream take over like this at night; and during the day watching as it wreaked havoc on Zexion as he constantly fought to keep his eyes open. He was ill almost all of the time, and he basically lived off of coffee and energy drinks during the mornings.

The bright red, luminescent numbers on the read one a.m.; the nightmare coming two and a half hours earlier than yesterday, and four hours earlier than the night before. This caused Axel to sigh. He was tired, exhausted at best, and waking up each night like this for somebody who couldn't function properly without at least nine hours of sleep was taking its toll. Now, he wasn't mad at the little nobody he loved in the slightest. How could he be? This was something totally out of control. He was just frustrated that this was an every night thing; and Zexion had _still _not told Axel why.

The slow circles were still being rubbed on the small back of the shorter nobody, and Axel expected the usual answer of Zexion just shaking his head, and the two boys sitting as they were now for another hour or so; the bluenette crying quietly while his taller flame haired lover rubbed circles on his back. Eventually, Zexion could cry himself out again, and fall into a light, restless sleep as Axel would hold him tightly to his chest. Often times; he'd be dedicated enough to stay up for hours on end and just watch the bluenette to make sure he would be okay.

Tonight was different than most nights. Zexion had finally worked up enough courage to tell Axel about his dream; his personal hell that had been haunting him since he was just a kid. "A-Axel…"

Axel kissed Zexion's forehead gingerly. "Hm? What is it, my love?"

"Can I tell you…? About my dream…?" The bluenette's voice was shaky and a little unsure; but he was determined to finally tell Axel _why _he woke up in this state almost every night.

The red head's ears perked up. Had he just heard Zexion right? "Yes, of course. You can tell me anything; you know that." That's what he said aloud; but internally, the red head was throwing a party. _Fucking finally. _He thought to himself.

Zexion took a deep, shaky breath. He wrapped his arms from his knees, and clutched at Axel's bare chest. "May we lie down first? My head hurts."

"Sure, baby." The red head kept Zexion wrapped in his arms, but laid on his back so the short nobody was kept held to his chest; and he brought the blankets around the two. The bluenette snuggled into the crook of Axel's neck and in return, Axel turned his head kissed Zexion's forehead once more in a loving way. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you."

"Mmhm. Now talk to me, babe." The fingers of the pyro ran lightly up and down the back of the shorter nobody snuggled into him, urging him to talk.

Zexion sighed at the comforting touch, his chest tightening as he began to speak. "Did I…Have I ever told you about my childhood? How I ended up being involved in all of this?"

Axel shook his head in the darkness. "No. Hell, now that you mention it, how old are you?"

"Four years younger than yourself."

The acidic green eyes of the pyro widened. "You're only _seventeen_?" He asked, surprise obvious in his quiet, tired voice.

Zexion nodded into Axel. "Yes."

"Damn. I thought you were nineteen, at least."

"I'm mature for my age; always have been. Well, not _always_, but since I was seven."

"Seven? What happened that changed all that when you were seven years old?" Axel asked in the darkness; now absentmindedly drawing little patterns on the pale skin of his lover's back, again urging him to continue.

The bluenette took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, feeling tears well up behind his eyelids. _God, why is this so painful?_ He thought to himself, before continuing. "Well, first let me explain a little bit about my life. I was born and raised in Radiant Garden. I lived with my mother and father before being 'adopted', so to say, by Ansem as one of his apprentices when I was seven and a half…" He stopped and bit his lip, trying to hold in the emotions welling up in himself. Taking a second deep breath, Zexion continued. "They found me one night, sleeping on a bench in the town plaza by the water fountain. I was running; always running. Ansem and Even, whom _you _know better as Vexen, found me. They picked me up like I was a stray puppy, asking me where my parents were, and what a young child like myself was doing outside, all alone at night." A silent tear slipped out of Zexion's eye and ran down his cheek. He sighed quietly and continued still. "I couldn't explain to them what had happened to my parents; I couldn't talk at all. For a little under a year, I went selectively mute; choosing only to talk to certain people. And when I _did _talk, it was very few words."

Axel remained silent, choosing to listen to each and every word the rolled off of the bluenette's tongue. Where was this story going?

"Anyways; as I was saying, it took about two months before I could form a sentence again. When I finally could, I explained to Ansem what had happened."

"And what happened?" The pyro asked quietly, rubbing Zexion's back still in the most comforting way he possibly could.

Zexion sighed; knowing all too well how hard this was going to be. "Only a few weeks after my seventh birthday; I was sleeping in bed one night. My mother comes in my room and she's frantically shaking me, whispering in a panicked tone I'd never heard her use before. She ushered me out of bed and into my parent's room; where my father was. My mother told me that something had happened, and she didn't want to frighten me, but something terrible may happen. I remember what she said to me, too. She said, "Hide, baby. Just hide, alright? Everything is going to be okay. But you need to just hide and keep your little self safe, do you hear me? Daddy and I love you always. Hide, baby!" and then ushered me to hide in her closet." Tears were pouring out of the bluenette's eyes; but he didn't care. There was no way he could hold them back any longer; so why even bother. "That was the last thing she ever said to me. I sat in that closet and listened to these absolutely sickening cracks and the scream of my mother as she watched my father die. She joined him soon after."

Axel felt tears running down his face. All this time and he'd never known about this? "Zexion, I—"

"Don't say it, Axel. Please. Just let me finish." He paused to take a shaky breath and wipe the tears from his eyes. "There was a man in my house; and I never got a good look at him. To this day, I still have no idea who he was. But he came for me too. I was hiding in the very bottom of the closet, and trying so hard not to cry out for help or cry. I was young, but not naïve. I knew then that my parents had been murdered, in cold blood nonetheless. Everybody in town knew and liked my family; so if we had any enemies, I didn't know about it as a kid. As for me; I was never found by the man. He did, however, open the closet, and he looked directly at me; and that alone instilled so much fear into my mind. I ducked my head, and prepared for the worst. But the closet door was shut, and out went the man. I was left there, alone, in a room with my parents dead bodies. I was so frightened, I ended up vomiting all over myself." Zexion stopped to clutch at his stomach. He felt the same sickening feeling he felt all those years ago just as vividly as ever. Tears were now pouring wildly out of his eyes, and he was having a rather difficult time keeping calm.

Axel was sitting there, completely stunned. He opened his mouth to say something; but then he'd shut it once more, unable to find the right words to say. What do you say to somebody in a situation like this? Is 'I'm sorry' acceptable?

Zexion shook his head; attempting to shake off the sick feelings. "When I was I was alone, it had gotten dark. I stayed in the closet for hours, unable to move. I did emerge from my hiding spot, and I remember so clearly seeing my parents lying there, completely motionless, on the floor. There was light moonlight coming in through the windows, and they were both bathed in it. I couldn't see their faces; and I didn't want to. And so I ran. I ran from my house, down the street. I ran to the opposite end of the town, crying all the way, until I found the park bench and collapsed on it. That's where Ansem and Even found me. They took me under their wing, and tried to raise me as best they could. And after that, long story short, here I am now."

At this point in time, the red head was stunned; absolutely, wordlessly stunned. What was he supposed to say to console Zexion?

"As for the nightmare; now that you know all of that, it's basically just a flashback. I see and hear my mother's panic, I'm shuffled into the closet, and I listen to them die…" He paused and shook his head again. "The closet door handle jiggles, and then I wake up. That's why I'm so terrified of sleep, Axel. That's why I don't want to go to bed every night, and why I fear closing my eyes. Because my subconscious mind produces these images and everything is so real…" The sick feelings had risen into Zexion's throat by now. A wave of panic washed over his entire being, and he couldn't continue talking any longer. Instead; he untangled himself from Axel, clutching his stomach with one hand as he dashed for the bathroom; the panic making him physically ill.

Axel stood up himself, running to the bathroom only to find Zexion hunched over the sink, vomit pouring out of his mouth. The red head approached the bluenette and brushed his slate locks from his mouth with one hand while he rubbed the shorter's back with the other. "Hey, hey…." He cooed as Zexion threw up, crying and coughing loudly as he did so. "Okay, okay…Just relax now, sweetheart."

"Go away, Axel…" Zexion coughed out as the pyro held his hair. "You don't…you don't need to see me like this…I'm sorry…" Another wave of violent vomiting rocked the poor nobody, and then he was done. Zexion could no longer hold himself up as his legs gave way. He clutched the sink for support and trying not to collapse, but in the end, Axel's arms caught him.

"Woah! Okay, hang on." The red head tucked one arm under Zexion's legs, and the other around his shoulders, lifting him up bridal style. "Let's get you back to bed, huh?" Axel cooed softly to the other, placing a light kiss on his clammy cheek. All of a sudden, the bluenette looked like hell, but it was to be expected. His icy eyes darkened in colour, and looked quite tired and a tad sunken in. His slate locks clung to his forehead and around his mouth; his pale skin was clammy and cool. After something like that though; it's a bit of a surprise he didn't look worse.

Axel carried the small nobody to the bed, where he proceeded to lie him down ever so gently. Zexion snuggled gratefully into the pillows, feeling extraordinarily drained after the night's events. The pyro knelt down at the edge of the bed, and stroked the slate locks of the other. Zexion leaned into his touch, sighing softly.

"Feeling better?" The pyro asked softly, caressing the other's hair gently like he knew calmed him down.

Zexion nodded weakly. "Believe it or not; yes. It was a huge relief getting that off of my chest. Thank you, Axel."

Axel shook his head lightly. "No, babe, don't thank me. As your boyfriend, it's my _job_ to take care of you, and to listen to you and be there for you when you need it. Like tonight, for example. You needed me, and of course I was going to be there. What's troubling me though, Zex, is why you didn't tell me sooner?"

The bluenette closed his eyes and sighed; reopening them only to find Axel's acidic green orbs looking right back, so full of love it made Zexion feel a bit of guilt for not telling him sooner. "I don't know why I didn't tell you sooner. I was afraid, I think, to face the memories again."

"But you face them almost every night…"

"Not like that though…" The shorter nobody paused to yawn. "The nightmare is only a fraction of the memory; a dissected segment. Telling you the story, the entire truth of it, all of the memories appeared. Every graphic, horrifying image was relayed in my memory. And I was afraid to face that. I was afraid to meet those memories again; simply because they're so painful to me. But having you there…It made it easier to face those memories again."

Axle nodded, and moved a hand to stroke Zexion's cheek. "I suppose that's a good reason. But you do know that you should've told me way sooner, right?"

Zexion nodded now. "Yes, I'm aware."

A light chuckle was elicited from the red head. "Good. Now; you just relax there. I'm going to go and clean up the bathroom."

The bluenette yawned and nodded as Axel made his way towards the bathroom. When he entered, the whole place reeked of vomit. He covered his nose a bit, and moved to the sink, turning on the faucet and rinsing away the contents of Zexion's stomach.

After that was all rinsed away and the sink cleaned, Axel wet a warm washcloth, and filled up a cup with mouth wash. Grabbing the garbage can, he made his way out of the bathroom and towards the bed where Zexion lie.

"Did you fall asleep on me?"

"Mm, what? Oh, uh, no." The short nobody's voice was laced with sleep, and he was obviously very tired.

"Liar." Axel chuckled out. He placed the mouthwash cup on the bedside table. "Can you sit up a minute?"

Zexion nodded and pushed himself up, his body swaying a bit. "Nngh." He groaned out, clutching his head.

"You okay, sweetheart?" The red head asked in a genuine tone. He took the washcloth and began to wipe down the shorter nobody's face and neck; warming up his cool skin and cleaning off the sweat and vomit. "There. How's that?"

"Thanks, Ax…" Zexion slurred, leaning to one side. What Axel had just done felt _amazing_ to him in his tired, out-of-it state.

"No trouble at all, Zex. Now, did you want to use this mouthwash? You didn't get to brush your teeth or anything before because you sort of passed out and—"

Axel had turned his back on the bluenette for a moment, and when he looked at him once more, Zexion had fallen to one side, his legs still hanging off of the bed, and he was asleep. Axel chuckled to himself and tossed the washcloth aside, deciding he'd take care of it in the morning.

Instead; the pyro crawled over Zexion's sleeping form to the other side of the bed, lying down on his side. He leant over the bluenette and grabbed his legs, swinging them onto the bed. The short nobody stirred and yawned, turning over so that he was facing Axel. The red headed pyro pulled his lover into his arms, and in his sleep, Zexion cuddled into Axel's chest. He stroked the slate locks lovingly, and kissed the bluenette's forehead. "Goodnight, baby…" He cooed to the short nobody, glancing at the clock. It read four thirty three.

The next night, as Axel was getting ready for bed, he noticed the Zexion seemed a bit more willing to sleep than usual. He was still rather worn out from yesterday; but they had both gotten through their missions and were tuckered out.

When Axel emerged from the bathroom after his shower, Zexion was out cold on the bed; his mouth open slightly as light snores escaped him. The red head chuckled at the scene before him, and clicked off the light before making his way over to the bed.

He crawled in, lying on his side as he'd done before, and Axel spooned the shorter nobody, hugging him to his chest. The red head wasn't sure what time Zexion would wake up tonight, but he hoped it'd be sooner than later so he could sleep as much as he could. Truth be told; Axel was exhausted as all hell.

Before he fell asleep, the pyro stole a glance at the clock. It read ten forty. Axel shut his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

The next time the pyro opened his eyes, he found it to be lighter in the room, and he no longer felt Zexion's body against his. Axel sat straight up in Zexion's bed, entangled in the sheets, and he felt panic rising in him. "Zexion?" He called, his eyes adjusting to the bright sunlight leaking through the bluenette's window.

Zexion emerged from his bathroom, a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth, and a towel around his thin waist. Axel was sitting in bed and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Yeah?"

The flame haired nobody ran a hand through his hair as his eyes continued adjusting to the brightness as he woke up more and more. "What…what time is it?"

The bluenette smiled as he glanced at the clock. "Eleven o'clock a.m."  
…

**[A/N: I may or may not have stayed up all night finishing this. I hope to hell you guys like these little shorts. I haven't received much feedback on them yet, but I'm hoping if I publish a few more that somebody will review. Anyways, I hope you liked this, and I apologize for any grammatical mistakes. It's late, well, technically early, and I half assed my proofreading.] **


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